Copy-holder.



F. PLANERT.

COPY HOLDER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 9, 1910.

1,006,270, Patented Oct. 17,1911.

FRANK PLANERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COPY-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 9, 1910.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

seria1 No. 571,241.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK PLANERT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Copy-Holders, of which the following is a full, true, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to that class of devices used by stenographers, typesetters, and other persons working from copy, for holding note books, manuscript, etc., and the object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and convenient copy holder which will satisfactorily hold in open and upright position. end-opening note books, sideopening note books, loose sheets of paper, printed books, pamphlets, and the like, without altering the device to meet the requirements of these different forms of copy.

My invention consists generally in a base or supporting` member, a plate against which the copy rests, a shelf or support near the bottom of the plate, and a pivoted forklike spring member for holding the copy securely against the plate.

Referring to the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, Figure l represents a front view of the device with a side opening note book in the holding position; Fig. 2 is a side View taken from Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing an end opening note book in position; Fig. 4 shows the back of the device with a side-opening note book thereon; and Fig. 5 is a view of the upper edge of the holder with a book in position thereon.

The preferred form of my invention, as illustrated by the drawings, is made from sheet metal of suitable thickness, approximately six inches wide by eighteen inches long, with the ends beaded or turned to stiifen the device and at the same time present round and smooth edges to the hand of the operator.

In the drawings A represents the base,`

B the shelf, C the plate, and D, E, F, the spring member. Y

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that in the construction of this device the bottom and rearmost edge l is not only bent but that about of an inch thereof is turned at an angle of approximately 90 degrees for thepurpose of strength. At the point 2, which is approximately five inches from the point l, an angle of somewhat less than 90 degrees with respect to the base is formed. At the point 3, which is approximately l inches from the point Q, an angle of somewhat more than 90 degrees is turned, and at the point t, which is approximately 1; inch from the point 3, an angle of approximately 90 degrees is turned. At the point 5, which is approximately 10 inches from the point 1l, the plate is turned backward, and then downward, in such a way that a space of approximately e of an inch exists between the bended portion and t-he main portion of the plate. All of the angles thus formed in the sheet are on lines perpendicular to the sides thereof, whereby the edges of the device lie in parallel vertical planes. The fork-like member consists of a piece of spring wire of suitable gage, bent in various directions and passed through a hole in the upper right hand corner of the plate. That part of the spring melnber lying to the front of the plate (see Figs. 2 and 3) is lirst bent upward and then downward to the point of beginning, forming a loop about one inch in height, thence the direction of the wire extends somewhat outwardly and then downwardly for a distance of approximately three and one-half inches. At this point the direction changes at right angles on an easy turn and extends to the left a dis-- tance of approximately four inches. From the point 6, with respect to the surface of the plate, the wire turns outwardly, meeting the plate again at the point 7, thence turning outwardly again on an easy curve, by means of which curved formation the contact of the spring with the copy is such as prevents the catching or tearing of the paper when the spring is being moved .into or withdrawn from its clamping position, and by this means also the main holding point of contact is approximately at the middle of the plate with respect to the sides thereof. The hole in the upper right hand corner of the plate is formed through the plate proper, and through the turned back portion thereof, the distance between the two parts making a substantial bearing for that portion of thewire spring member which turns therein. In practice, for additional strength, I prefer to run solder between the two portions of the plate in the.

upper right hand corner thereof before drilling or punching the hole. When the front part of the spring member is in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the rear part takes the following directions, towit: After emerging from the hole described, the wire turns sharply at an angle of about 90 degrees and in a direction of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the top line of the plate (see Fig. 4:). lith respect to the rear surface of the plate the wire is curved first away therefrom, then back, and then away again in an easy compound curve, the length of this rear prong of the spring member being about four and one-half inches. Fig. 5 of the drawings plainly shows the lines of the curves of both the front and rear portions of this spring member.

The mode of operation is to revolve t-he spring member until the prongs are approximately in an upright position, placing the copy in position against the plate, and lowering the prongs of the fork to such position that the lower front portion thereof will be approximately horizontal, the point 7 in Fig. 8 pressing against the copy, and, in the case of a side or end-opening book, the rear prong pressing against that part of the book which is folded back, so as to retain it in position against the back of the plate, and, in the case of other copy, the rear prong pressing against the back of the plate. To release the copy for change or removal, the loop F in Fig. 6 is used as a thumb piece to revolve the prongs to an approximately upright position. The dotted lines in Fig. 1 illustrate the spring member in what I have termed the upright position.

IVhile I have shown and described the preferred structure of my device I do not limit my invention to this precise form and arrangement of parts, as it is apparent that this style of copy holder may be made largely of wood or other suitable material, and that the base may be detachable, or that the plate may be supported by standards at the back of t-he device, or may be attached to a movable arm extending from the wall, typewriter desk, or any machine in connection with which the device may be used. It is also apparent that the spring clamping element may be arranged in other parts of the plate, near the upper end, or along the sides thereof, and it is also easily seen that the various turns and bends in the wire may be modified, all without altering the essential elements of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a copy holder, the combination of a plate with a one-piece spring member hav ing two forks and rotatably mounted in said plate, one part of the front fork of said spring member being formed to constitute an operating thumb-piece and the remainder thereof being formed substantially L shaped and arranged so that the free end thereof when in operative position, lies between the lines of the notes or manuscript to be copied, the rear fork of said spring member extending diagonally with relation to said front fork and formed to press against the rear surface of said plate, and hold a turned back portion of said manuscript or book, substantially as described.

2. In a copy holder, the combination of a plate, a two-prong wire spring member piva point on the fork intermediate the prongs thereof, one prong extending from the pivotal point thereof over and pressing against the front surface of the plate and the other prong extending from said pivotal point over and pressing against the rear surface of the plate, said prongs being rotatable in planes substantially parallel with. the surfaces of the plate, substantially as described.

3. In a copy holder the combination of a plate having an opening therein perpendicular to the surfaces of the plate, a two arm spring member rotatably mounted in said opening, one arm of said spring member extending from said opening and lying on one surface of the plate and the other arm extending from said opening and lying on the other surface of the plate, the two arms being rotatable in planes substantially parallel with the surfaces of the plate and having a spring pressure in the direction of the plate so as to hold copy against either surface or both surfaces of the plate by frictional contact, substantially as described.

4. In a copy holder, the combination of a sheet metal plate, a copy-supporting shelf and a base integrally formed with said plate, a two-prong wire spring member pivotally mounted in the plate at a point on the spring member intermediate the prongs, the said prongs extending from said pivotal point thereof on, and rotatable on, and pressing against, opposite surfaces of the said plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 6th day of July, 1910, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK PLANERT.

Vitnesses:

JOHN It. LEFEVRE, M. SIMON.

Copies of this .patent inay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,006,270a

It is hereby certified that in Lettere` yPatent No. 1,006,270, grunted October 17, 1911, upon the application of Frank Planert, of Chicago, Illinois, for an improve ment in Copy-Holders, en error appears in the printed specification requiring correction es follows: Page 2, line 8l, strike out the Wordsvand syllable a twoprong Wire spring member piv and insert the worde a sjnng/ fm'.' pz'vaecl n z/eplctte at; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this Correction therein that the saune may Conform to the recordI of the ease inthe Patent Ooe.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of December, A. D., 1911.

[SEAL] E. n. Moolen,

Umnmz'ssz'mze of Patents. 

